This is my 15th assignment in Afghanistan, mostly under lock-down of course. My Afghan agricultural, engineering and forestry local experts are in their early 20’s through mid-30’s. They are among the brightest, best educated people in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, they have not had the advantages of peaceful homes and living conditions, good education or learning experiences at work. They can’t think independently. They claim to have graduated from Afghan high schools in Peshawar and universities in Kabul. Their education did not include mathematics, science, laboratories, field trips and field work. They don’t know how to use the Internet to answer simple research questions. They don’t have Internet access or air conditioning at home. They can’t solve for “m” in “y = mx +b.” They say they speak English. They can’t write a simple sentence or paragraph without spelling and grammar mistakes, and inconsistencies. They can’t follow simple instructions like: “All activities and mitigation measures must start with a verb, not a noun,’” “Rename the files you work on with your initials at the front and the date at the end of the file,” “Put the loan or grant number in the box that says Loan or Grant,” “Highlight your changes in a different color so I can find and consider them.” They won’t check their work or work of others. They can’t ask questions; they are too embarrassed. They won’t speak up if they don’t understand something. They will agree with you rather than question you to clarify something they don’t know. They can’t use examples to write a simple similar sentence. They won’t accept delegation. They don’t like to work together or as a team. They can’t follow-through and require nearly constant hands-on oversight. They won’t do any work unless you prod them. They are lazy and not inquisitive. They take no initiative. They fall asleep throughout the day or stare at their laptop screens or a paper page for hours without moving. They come to work tied, hungry and thirsty and cannot eat or drinking during the day for the Holy Month of Ramadan. Here are some words and concepts they don’t know. I wonder if my grandchildren know them? Biodiversity Category Classification Coordinates Deferral Degradation Determination Exclusion Exemption Ecology Equation Flora and fauna GPS Habitat Latitude and longitude Material data safety sheet Site Slope Soil amendment
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 12:35:59 +0000
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